Luffy's Secret
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Ace has noticed that Luffy has been acting awfully strange. He and Sabo suspect that their little brother is keeping a secret, so they follow him to wherever he's going. However, they're both in for a surprise. Rated K.


One Piece: Luffy's Secret

One Piece © Oda

Summary- Ace has noticed that Luffy has been acting awfully strange. He and Sabo suspect that their little brother is keeping a secret, so they follow him to wherever he's going. However, they're both in for a surprise.

It was a cloudy Spring morning on Dawn Island, mostly on Mt. Colbo. The jungle was a bit cooler than usual because of the weather, making the animals come out of hiding even more.

Recently, the three brothers, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy had just made a fresh kill. Today's special: moose meat.

For some reason, Luffy, the youngest of the trio, didn't seem to be eating much this morning, which annoyed his two older brothers. Not to mention worried them, too. Plus, Luffy was also being awfully quiet.

Ace and Sabo suspected that Luffy was keeping a secret from them, and Ace intended to find out what it was.

XXX

Luffy had finished eating after Ace and Sabo had.

"Lu, we're gonna take a little nap!" Ace called to the 7-year-old boy.

"Okay," Luffy said.

Ace and Sabo headed up their lookout tower to take their nap, leaving Luffy alone. Once he was certain that they were in a deep enough sleep, he headed outside, using the ropeway to climb down.

Ace and Sabo watched as Luffy made his exit.

"C'mon," Ace said. "Let's follow him."

"Ace, maybe we should be a little more respectful," said Sabo. "I know you're worried and all, but it's Luffy's secret, and we shouldn't invade his privacy like this!"

"What do you know?" Ace questioned. "Let's just go and follow him before he gets too far away, or worse!"

Sabo sighed.

"Fine."

And so, Ace and Sabo followed Luffy to wherever he was headed, armed with their lead pipes, just in case they happened to run into some unfriendly creatures.

As Luffy walked down the path, he stopped at a patch of red flowers. He gasped in delight before he went to smell them. Ace and Sabo watched from the cover of the bushes.

"Perfect!" he said as he picked a bunch. "She loves these kind of flowers!"

Ace and Sabo cocked their eyebrows in confusion before they looked to each other.

"She?" Ace whispered, questioningly.

"Who's 'she?'" Sabo asked.

Ace made a sly grin.

"I bet our little bro, here, has got himself a crush," Ace said.

Sabo snickered.

"As funny as it sounds," he said, "if Luffy's got himself a…girlfriend, then we should be more respectful, now."

"Are you kidding?" asked Ace. "I can't wait to rub this in his face! Besides, you always poke fun at me for saying I have a crush on that Makino lady when I don't!"

"Then how come you blush every time someone mentions her name?" Sabo asked.

Ace's cheeks flushed a bright red.

"Sh-shut up!" he whispered before he looked over the bushes. He gasped.

Luffy was on the move, again, carrying the bouquet of flowers with him.

"Let's go!" Ace said before he and Sabo resumed following him.

However, as they did, Ace suddenly stepped on a twig, causing it to snap. Luffy heard the snap before he whipped around.

No one there.

With a shrug, Luffy continued to head down the mountain.

Ace and Sabo appeared from the boulder they ducked behind.

"That was a close one," said Ace.

XXX

Luffy finally made it down the mountain and was now headed to the one place he was forbidden to return to since he was under Dadan's care: Windmill Village.

Ace gasped. Luffy had told him that he couldn't come back here since Garp said so, himself!

"That little liar!" Ace growled, silently.

"Well, now that where he is, let's go back to the hideout," said Sabo.

"No way," Ace said. "We know where he's going, but now, we need to know why."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that," Sabo retorted.

XXX

Luffy headed into the Party Bar, where he was greeted by none other than Makino.

"Luffy, you're here!" Makino as she knelt down to give the boy a loving hug.

"Hi, Makino!" Luffy exclaimed in greeting. "You got the lunchbox that I asked you to make for me?"

"Sure do," Makino said before she stood up and handed Luffy a lunchbox on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Makino!" said Luffy. "She's gonna love it!"

Makino smiled, softly and gently ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'm sure she will," she said. "Okay, run along now, and don't talk to strangers!"

"I won't!" Luffy said as he took the lunchbox and flowers and prepared to leave. "Oh, and Makino! If Grandpa comes, tell him I was never here!"

"My lips are sealed," Makino said with a wink.

With that being said, Luffy left the Party Bar and continued on his little stroll. Ace and Sabo peeked around the corner.

"Well, now we know he's not crushing on Ms. Makino," said Sabo.

"Then I guess we're gonna have to keep following him," said Ace.

"Ace, maybe we shouldn't," Sabo reprimanded. "Luffy might get mad at us!"

"What's he gonna do?" asked Ace. "Gum-Gum Pistol us? He can't punch to save his life! Now, c'mon!"

XXX

Ace and Sabo followed to the other side of the village. It was there that they finally found where Luffy was headed: the village cemetery.

"Why's he going here?" Sabo questioned.

"His crush must be some kind of creep," Ace answered. "C'mon! He's got nowhere else to go, now!"

Inside the cemetery, Luffy walked passed the many tombstones until he approached one shaped like a crucifix, and he smiled.

From a distance, Ace and Sabo watched.

"Hi, Mom," Luffy said as he placed the flowers and lunchbox. "I brought you some presents. I picked these flowers that you like so much and the lunchbox is filled with all your favorite food, like Makino said."

Ace felt his heart start to clench as he watched Luffy speak to his mother's grave.

"So, Mom," Luffy said, "how is everything up there? It's not really as fun without me, huh? It's not as fun here without you, either…but I'm doing okay on my own! I'm getting a lot stronger, now! My punch isn't all that strong, yet, but I'm getting there!"

Sabo sniffled as tears began to form in his eyes.

"And guess what?" Luffy asked. "I got two new big brothers, now, and they're the best! Their names are Ace and Sabo. Ace can be a little mean, sometimes, but he's cool, anyway, and Sabo is a little nicer than Ace."

A pause came…before Ace began to approach Luffy from behind.

"I really do miss you, Mom," said Luffy. "It's not really the same without you, but…I promise, I'll get stronger and become King of the Pirates, like you said I could be! Okay?"

A small breeze came. Luffy shivered a bit, but then he wrapped his arms around himself, not for warmth, but as if he were being hugged.

"I love you, too," Luffy whispered as small beads of tears fell from his eyes.

At that moment, Luffy felt a hand being put on his shoulder, making him gasp and look back, but when he saw that it was only his brothers, he sighed before he turned back to the grave.

"Hey, guys," Luffy greeted.

"Hey," Ace and Sabo greeted back.

Ace looked at Luffy's mother's gravestone. It read "R.I.P, Monkey D. Star. You were a wonderful mother."

"This is your mom, huh?" asked Ace.

"Yup," Luffy answered, sniffling before he reached into his pocket and pulled out something. "I got a picture of her."

The item that Luffy had gotten was a gold locket. Ace took it into his hand and opened so he and Sabo could get a look at the picture inside. The locket held a tiny picture of a woman with raven hair and a wide grin that was similar to Luffy's.

"She's real pretty, Luffy," complimented Sabo.

"Thank you," said Luffy.

Ace handed back the locket to Luffy.

"You really miss your mom, huh, Luffy?" asked Ace.

"Yup," Luffy said with a tear rolling down his cheek. "But…"

"But?" Ace and Sabo repeated, questioningly.

Luffy looked up to them with his usual wide grin.

"She knows I'm safe with you guys," he said, "so it's okay!"

Ace and Sabo seemed surprised at their brother's remark, but then they had to smile themselves.

"So, do you want us to give you some more time alone with your mom?" asked Sabo.

"Or are you ready to go back, now?" asked Ace.

"I think I'm ready to go," Luffy answered before he got up to his feet. "I'm glad you guys got to meet my Mom!"

"We're glad we got to meet her, too, Luffy," said Sabo. "C'mon, let's go back to the hideout. I bet you're hungry after that long walk here."

"I sure am!" said Luffy, and he had the growling stomach to prove it.

The brother soon joined hands with each other and turned to leave the cemetery, but not before Luffy glanced at his mother's grave, one last time.

"Bye, Mom!" Luffy said. "I'll come visit, again, someday, and I'll bring Ace and Sabo, too!"

Ace and Sabo smiled at Luffy's innocence before they continued to walk. However, as they left, a woman with raven hair stood next to the tombstone, smiling as the breeze blew gently.

**THE END**


End file.
